I still would be shocked if Pujols left the Cardinals, whether or not the two sides reach a deal by the start of Spring Training. That said, he is probably looking for a deal worth anywhere between $300 and $350 million which would take him towards retirement, and so it’s unclear whether the Cardinals are willing to commit to such terms.

Regarding the Mets and long term contracts, in a conference call with bloggers last month, Mets GM Sandy Alderson said:

“(The longer) deals are setting a dangerous precedent. But this is New York, and we will have to address the market as it develops over the next few years. If this becomes the norm, then we will have to address it.”

It remains to be seen if a) Pujols ever becomes a free agent b) he would be interested in joining the Mets, should he become a free agent, and c) Alderson would commit to a player for that amount of time, given what Alderson said last month, keeping flexibility in mind, and what lies ahead for ownership.